Hen nest



3, 1935. 5 J US I 2,022,843

HEN NEST Filed June 7, 1934 INVENTOR SIMON J BuscH Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to hen nests and in particular to one in which a laying hen may be imprisoned for protection from other hens and general disturbance or interference.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a nest of the character referred to which is simple in construction and one which has many advantages and fills a number of needs. For instance, the parts of the nest operate to permit ingress and egress of the hen without difficulty. The operation is automatic and is caused by the weight of the hen closing a door as she enters the nest. The door is swingable outwardly to permit the hen to leave and said door is prevented from opening when it is desired to imprison the hen.

Another object is to provide a hen nest which is constructed as a unit to accommodate a single hen or one which has compartments and in which a number of hens may be accommodated.

A still further object is to provide a device of the character referred to which is inexpensive to manufacture and is foolproof and can be maintained in a sanitary condition.

Changes and variations may be made in the construction shown and described without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages; hence such invention is not to be confined to the precise structure shown in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a hen nest constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown with the door opened, the nest being unoccupied.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the pivotal connection of the door frame with the nest housing.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, showing the construction of one corner of the nest housing and means of preventing the door from swinging outwardly when the same is to be kept closed, and

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4i 4 of Figure 1, showing the means of suspending the front edge of the nest tray to permit pivoting movement of the inner end thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 5 indicates a housing made from any suitable material and arranged to accommodate a single nest construction or a plurality of such constructions, the drawing illustrating a single nest and its operation. The housing 5 is provided with a suitable top 6 having a front depending portion 1, and preferably, although not necessarily, a bottom having a front strip 8, to the latter of which is hinged the tray to be later referred to. An opening in the front of the nest housing between the upper edge of the strip 8 and the lower edge of the portion 1 permits the hen to enter or leave the nest. 5

In order that the hen, when on the nest, will not be molested by the other hens, and also to prevent her leaving the nest when it is desired to keep her there, use is made of an automatically operating arrangement consisting of a tray 10 I! in which the nest materials are held and which, along its front edge 9, carries the hooks l t which engage over the upper edge of the front strip 8. These hooks provide the hinge about which the tray may pivot, as the hen steps into 15 said tray to cause operation of the door I l, which is preferably a wire frame connected with mesh wire or strands to form a closure.

The door I l is hinged at its upper end as at l2, to the forward end of a door frame l3 which is 20 U-shaped and whose side portions l4 are each pivoted to the inside wall of the housing 5, as at l5. Adjacent this pivot point, the frame I3 is connected, at each side, by a link IS, with the sides of the tray H. The door frame l3 at its inner end 25 carries a counterweight l8, which counteracts the weight of the tray and door and keeps the latter open. The tray is slightly tilted when unoccupied and as soon as the hen enters the tray, her weight is suflicient to overcome the resistance of 30 the counterweight, with the result that the frame It has a pivotal movement about I 5 and the door slides down to close the front opening in the housing. The door is arranged to lie on rearwardly bent portions 19 of the side edges 20 of the housing 35 so that the door, when in closed position, will be a little behind the outer front surface of said housing to which is secured a latch 2|, pivoted for revolving movement so that one end of it can overlie the door and prevent the hen from push- 40 ing the door open to get out of the nest. This latch is set by the tender of the nests and when not in use, the nest door can be opened by the hen from inside, as said door is hinged as at l2 and can swing outwardly. The counterweight 5 I8 maintains the door II in open position when the tray nest is not occupied.

It is evident therefore, that I have provided a nest construction which is easy to construct, is simple in operation and which effectively and automatically acts to protect a hen.

My invention is not to be restricted to the preoise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

A hen nest comprising a walled housing having an entrance opening in the front wall thereof, a strip portion defining the lower edge of said opening and guideways bounding the side edges thereof, a nest tray in the housing occupying substantially the entire bottom thereof and having means for pivotally supporting the front portion of the nest tray, a doorsupporting means in the housing having sides pivoted to the side walls of the housing and having one end at the rear of the housing, a connection between said nest tray and said door supporting means, a counterweight at the rear end of the door supporting means, a

door pivoted to the front end of the supporting ing movement when in closed position, and releas- 10 able means for selectively preventing outward swinging movement of said door.

SIMON J. BUSCH. [L.S.] 

